A sleepy county in rural California has the highest gas prices in the nation – and on top of the Iran war, motorists can thank the state’s stiff taxes and regulations, experts told The Post.
Service stations in Mono County – a remote enclave on the Nevada border just west of Yosemite National Park – were advertising gasoline at an eye-watering average of $6.76 per gallon as of Wednesday, according to AAA.
That’s versus the statewide average of $5.93 a gallon, which is already the highest in the nation.
The national average stood at $4.16 as of Wednesday, according to AAA.The state has been forced to rely more on imported gas since two refineries shut down at the end of last year.
California residents already face the steepest state gasoline tax in the US – 71 cents per gallon.
On top of that, California’s Clean Air Act restricts the amount of ethanol allowed in gasoline during the summer.
A law that looks to reduce evaporative emissions to make the air cleaner but is more expensive to refine.
“California is currently switching out its gasoline to a summer blend, which has to lower emissions and is meant to optimize around burning gas efficiently,” said Joe Adamski, an oil supply chain expert.
Meanwhile, delivering gas to the 13,000 Mono County residents has become increasingly expensive, petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan told The Post.
It is a small, rural, and isolated county sitting between two of western America’s most popular tourist attractions – Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park — which has kept demand high.
Lake Tahoe saw a 7% increase in hotel rooms reserved this January when compared to the same month last year, according to Lake Tahoe’s Visitors Authority.
“Nobody is looking up gas prices before traveling to these places,” De Haan said.
Last year, California imported more than 75% of its crude oil, according to the California Energy Commission.
One third of that comes from the Middle East, where conflict has been raging.
To make matters worse, carbon cap-and-trade programs and low carbon-fuel standards have increased the price of refining gasoline across the Golden State.
“The cost of doing business in California is high,” De Haan, added.
As negotiations to permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz stall, energy prices remain high.
Gas prices have been at their highest since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Brent crude was $96.77 per barrel as of Wednesday, a 9.8% increase since the Feb. 28 start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
West Texas Intermediate crude jumped about 9% to $97.15 in that same time frame.
President Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, but experts voiced caution about the potential impact on fuel prices.
“I’d expect the national average to stay above $4 per gallon through the summer,” Adamski said.
